PANCHAYATI RAJ DEVOLUTION INDEX
PANCHAYATI RAJ DEVOLUTION INDEX
“Panchayat”, being “Local Government”, is a State subject and part of State List of Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. Panchayats are set up and operate through the respective State Panchayati Raj Acts. States have made their own Panchayati Raj Act, subject to the provisions of the Constitution. Article 243G of the Constitution empowers the Legislature of a State to make provisions, by law, for the devolution of power and responsibilities upon Panchayat at appropriate level, subject to such conditions as may be specified, with respect to the preparation of plans for economic development and social justice and implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice as may be entrusted to them including those in relation to matters listed in the Eleventh Schedule to the Constitution. The State legislatures are to consider the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule for devolution of power and responsibilities upon Panchayats.Accordingly, the performance of Panchayats depends on the extent of powers and resources devolved to them by the States concerned, which varies across States.
However, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj reviews performance of Panchayats, from time to time, through studies, review meetings, field visits, video conferencing, Information Technology applications etc.
The Ministry has released a report titled “Status of Devolution to Panchayats in States – An Indicative Evidence-Based Ranking, 2024” in February 2025 to assess the effectiveness of devolution and the role of local governments in strengthening grassroots democracy. This report presents the Devolution Index, which provides the overall scores and ranks for all States/Union Territories covered under Part-IX of the Constitution, based on six identified dimensions: Framework, Functions, Finances, Functionaries, Capacity Enhancement, and Accountability. As per this report, the State of Madhya Pradesh has ranked 12thposition among 18 general category States.
The Ministry has been rolling out People’s Plan Campaign as ‘Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas’ since 2018 for preparation of evidence based, holistic and inclusive Development Plans at the grassroots level in structured manner for the next financial year through people’s participation at various levels of Panchayati Raj Institutions including Gram/Village Panchayats, Block/Intermediate Panchayats and District Panchayats. The campaign aims to give impetus to the process of attainment of Localized Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) at the grassroots, which, in turn, leads to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals in rural areas.
Since the inception of the revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA),the number of Block Panchayat Development Plan (BPDP) is as follows (as on 13thMarch 2026):
Financial year
Total number of block Panchayat/equivalent
Total number of plans uploaded
2022-23
6752
6332
2023-24
6759
6144
2024-25
6808
6141
2025-26
6792
5638
Data source: https://egramswaraj.gov.in/approveActionPlanData.do
As of date, no complaints have been received from States/UTs regarding constraints encountered at the Block level during the preparation of Panchayat Development Plans.
The Ministry is implementing the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) under RGSA, which has significantly enhanced transparency, efficiency, and governance at the grassroots level. The eGramSwaraj application, developed as part of the e-Panchayat MMP, has facilitated digital planning, accounting, monitoring, and online payments at the Panchayat level. The integration of eGramSwaraj with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) enables real-time payments to vendors and service providers, ensuring seamless fund flow and reducing delays. As on 11.03.2026, during the current Financial Year 2025–26, 2,54,604 Gram Panchayats and equivalent (96.36%), out of a total of 2,64,211 Gram Panchayats and equivalent across the country, have uploaded their Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) on eGramSwaraj. Additionally, 2,42,871 Gram Panchayats and equivalent (91.92%) have transferred ₹38,491 crore payments through the eGramSwaraj–PFMS interface. The State-wise adoption status of eGramSwaraj for the XV Finance Commission for the Financial Year 2025-26 is provided in the Annexure-I.
Furthermore, the Ministry has strengthened the e-GramSwaraj platform through integration with other national digital platforms. Integration with the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) facilitates transparent, efficient and rule-based procurement by Gram Panchayats. Integration with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) enables Gram Panchayats to apply for internet connectivity at the Panchayat level. Integration with BHASHINI enables multilingual access to e-GramSwaraj. In addition, integration of weather forecast information supports timely decision-making, particularly in the areas of agriculture and disaster preparedness.
ANNEXURE-I
State-wise adoption status of eGramSwaraj for the XV Finance Commission for Financial Year 2025-26
S.No
State Name
Total Number of Village Panchayats & Equivalent
Village Panchayat onboard
Village Panchayats & Equivalent With Online Payment
Total Number of Block Panchayats & Equivalent
Block Panchayat onboard
Block Panchayats With Online Payment
Total Number of Zila Panchayats & Equivalent
Zila Panchayat onboard
Zila Panchayats With Online Payment
1
Andhra Pradesh
13327
13320
13025
660
660
649
13
13
13
2
Arunachal Pradesh
2108
2108
1486
0
0
0
27
26
22
3
Assam
2663
2186
2075
182
182
179
30
29
27
4
Bihar
8054
8054
8047
534
534
529
38
38
38
5
Chhattisgarh
11692
11687
11313
146
146
146
33
33
27
6
Goa
191
191
116
0
0
0
2
2
2
7
Gujarat
14619
14596
13800
248
248
248
33
33
33
8
Haryana
6227
6227
6010
143
143
141
22
22
22
9
Himachal Pradesh
3615
3615
3562
92
81
81
12
12
12
10
Jharkhand
4345
4345
4252
264
264
262
24
24
24
11
Karnataka
5949
5949
5938
238
232
93
31
31
23
12
Kerala
941
941
937
152
152
152
14
14
14
13
Madhya Pradesh
23011
23011
22194
313
313
309
52
52
52
14
Maharashtra
28002
27934
26438
351
351
265
34
34
33
15
Manipur
3175
161
113
0
0
0
12
6
4
16
Meghalaya
6884
0
0
0
0
0
3
3
3
17
Mizoram
855
841
817
0
0
0
0
0
0
18
Nagaland
1312
984
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
19
Odisha
6794
6794
6785
314
314
313
30
30
30
20
Punjab
13236
13233
12341
155
152
150
23
23
22
21
Rajasthan
13128
11184
10774
361
353
351
37
33
33
22
Sikkim
199
199
196
0
0
0
6
6
6
23
Tamil Nadu
12482
12482
12437
388
388
388
36
36
36
24
Telangana
12760
12674
9570
565
547
400
32
32
27
25
Tripura
1194
1194
1192
75
75
75
9
9
9
26
Uttarakhand
7817
7790
6926
95
95
94
13
13
13
27
Uttar Pradesh
57695
57693
57579
826
826
820
75
75
74
28
West Bengal
3339
3339
3337
345
345
345
22
21
21
Total
265614
252732
241260
6447
6401
5990
663
650
620
Source: eGramSwaraj Portal
This information was given by Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 18th March 2026.